BCB RECAP: NERVY WORTHING BEAT HOODS; READING BEAT BIRMINGHAM IN ROCKETS BATTLE
Worthing Thunder survived a fourth-quarter onslaught by the Nottingham Hoods on Saturday, while the Aldermore Reading Rockets flexed their muscles on Sunday, capping off another thrilling weekend of BCB action.
Key Storylines
- Worthing made to work for win over Nottingham after late collapse
- Reading beat Birmingham in battle of the Rockets name
- Yorkshire and London suffer mixed weekends
Worthing Thunder survived a furious fourth-quarter fightback to secure a 115-106 victory over the Nottingham Hoods on the south coast.
A Justin Hopkins three-pointer midway through the final period appeared to put Thunder firmly in control at 105-84. However, Nottingham refused to go quietly, launching a 15-2 run to cut the deficit to 107-99 with three minutes remaining.
The Hoods continued to pile on the pressure, closing the gap to 109-106 with almost a minute left. Joe Ostrowsky then came to Thunder's rescue, draining a crucial corner three-pointer to finally seal the win for the hosts.
Hopkins led all scorers with an outstanding 43 points and seven rebounds, while Ostrowsky delivered an impressive all-round performance of 21 points, 10 assists and six steals. Camden Polak led the way for Nottingham with 27 points.
“Happy with the win, but while our offence was good, our defence still needs a lot of work,” Thunder head coach Gary Smith conceded afterwards.
“Nottingham came back in the fourth, and we showed tremendous character to get out of a hole that we dug for ourselves, as until that point, offensively, we were good. Overall, we need to tighten up defensively. We have a break now, so we will focus on that.”
Elsewhere, Aldermore Reading Rockets held off a determined City of Birmingham Rockets side to claim a 71-66 victory.
Reading were made to work for the win, with Birmingham remaining within striking distance throughout the closing stages. However, Yusef Salih kept his nerve at the free-throw line to ice the game and ensure the visitors came away with the victory.
Three Reading players recorded double-doubles, led by Mo Walker's 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jax Nap added 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaylen Curry contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Eric Donaldson and former Reading player Zack Powell led the scoring for Birmingham, finishing with 18 points apiece.
Yorkshire Dragons and London Cavaliers both had mixed double-header weekends, going 1-1 on Saturday and Sunday.
The Dragons dismissed the Newcastle Knights at home 95-85 on Saturday with Corey Johnson flirting with a triple-double, as he went for 31 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. However, with Yorkshire staying on home floor, they fumbled on Sunday, losing 91-83 to the Bristol Hurricanes.
Josh Phillips had an outstanding showing for Bristol as he had 13 points and 20 rebounds, but it was a returning Ben Baker-McCann who had a team-high 24 points for the victors. Jordan Jefferson had 29 points for Yorkshire.
London’s weekend started brightly, as they edged the Loughborough Riders 85-80, thanks to 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Bradley Kaboza. However, the Cavs came unstuck, losing 90-75 on the road to the Derby Trailblazers.
Evan Walshe paced Derby with 20 points and six rebounds, as the Trailblazers shot 56 per cent from the field. Kaboza led the Cavs with 21.
To round off an exciting weekend, the Milton Keynes Breakers edged the Bristol Flyers II 73-69 thanks to 31 points and 11 boards from Nickolas Woodard. And the Hemel Storm squeaked past the Essex Rebels 93-88 thanks to 23 points from Victor Olarerin.
